Blaze hits shopping mall in Kuwait; no injuries

KUWAIT, July 6, 2017

A fire broke out on Thursday at the Avenues Mall located in the Al-Rai district of Kuwait, where construction work is under way to expand the shopping complex, said a report.

The blaze which engulfed the building under construction did not result in any casualties, but left seven firemen suffering from thermal stress due to the scorching heat, reorted state news agency Kuna on Thursday.

The fire first broke out at a warehouse where stocks of electrical and wooden products are stored, before spreading to the building, stated the report citing a senior official.

"The flames quicly spread to more than 200 sq m while columns of thick black smoke were seen billowing from the site," said Civil Defence deputy director general for firefighting Major General Jamal Al-Balahis.

The Avenues Mall, the largest shopping centre in Kuwait, is located in the Al-Rai area extending from the Fifth Ring Road from the south and Al-Ghazali Highway from the east. It was inaugurated April 2007.